Tag Archives: Women

On Thursday, May 7th we celebrated another #WMLABTALKS event, our inspirational thought-provoking lectures. WE ARE KOREAN WOMEN!

Along with Hye-Rim Kwon, a Korean journalist, we talked tête à tête about how Korean women view their past and face modernity.

Hye Rim and her friends.

This was our plan for the day and sticked to it quite enough.

Our Schedule Program for the day.

The first thing was the coffee mingle and taste the traditional Spanish tapapantumaca, a Catalonian breakfast or snack. People loved this simple but tasty Spanish dish.

You might be surprised by the name, “The Spanish FIKA” but there is a sentimental story behind. FIKA was our first #wmlabtalk and we liked very much this unique Swedish coffee break that we wanted to pay tribute to it by named it like that.

After we recharged our batteries it was time to get inspired…

We began our presentation. We talked about women, about Korean women and Korean Women’s greatest achievements. We talked about democracy, gender equality and the increase of women’s power in Korean society.

Important Korean Women

However we wanted not only to celebrate Korean Women’s achievements but to go just a little more further. More than spectators we wanted women to interact and discuss. We intended so to set a female-focused collective dialogue to break down stereotypes and go beyond clichés. It was difficult though, always is.

We thought that the only way to do it properly was through a “World Café” dynamic.

The World Café.

According to Wikipedia, the “World Café” is a structured conversational process that fosters an open and intimate discussion and link ideas within a larger group to get access to the “collective intelligence” in the room.

In World Café the focus is on exploring on themes and not on problem-solving and that was what we were after for: to enrich our perspective on Korean Women and give a certain basis for a further intimate reflection.

Small groups of six or seven participants sat around the tables and discussed open-ended questions for a structured amount of time. Individuals switched tables where a “table host” at the new table briefly welcomed people and filled them in on highlights of the earlier discussion.

In this way participants gather a wide range of inputs that help strengthen the ‘ecology’ of the conversation.

The world café session

These were our questions…

Korea has come so far in fifty years, how have women driven that growth?; What are the challenges that women face in Korean society?; What are the challenges that South Korean Women will face in the future?

I think that this World Café was able to deepen the discussion about being a woman in South Korea and maybe widen our viewpoints.

After the World Café, Hye-Rim Kwon taught us about the Sogokju, the Korean 1500 year old beverage and its legend around…

The story of Sogokju. “A long time ago, during the Joseon Dynasty a man who was on his way to Seoul to take a state exam , stopped at a tavern…”

After the storytelling we toasted with Sogokju and we could not find a better closure for our workshop than to read, both in Korean and in English, some excerpts of Simcheongjeon a story of Korean Pansori storytelling tradition.

Simcheong is a girl whose mother died in childbirth. She cares for her blind father… She is the perfect model of Confucian devotion…We found interested to end with this story and use her “own” words to foster our imagination, forgetting about the story and focusing on the philosophical message.

WE ARE KOREAN WOMEN is a female-focused collective dialogue to challenge stereotypes and clichés about being a woman in South Korea. Korean journalistHye-Rim Kwon and I will foster reflection on how Korean women view their past and face modernity.

But more than a workshop, WE ARE KOREAN WOMEN will be a celebration!

We will practise yogafit with Uliana Golovko and taste the traditional Spanish tapapantumaca, a Catalonian breakfast or snack.

Next, we will enjoy a violin recital of Spanish pieces by Korean violin instructor Kang So Eun.

Following the recital, we will begin our presentation and open dialogue. Korea has come so far in fifty years, how have women driven that growth? What are the challenges that women face in Korean society?

We seek to break down stereotypes and go beyond cliches by means of a creative and collaborative dialogue, in which there is not a predetermined answer or solution.

Inspired by the Juanita Brown and David Isaacs’ “World Café”methodology, WE ARE KOREAN WOMEN intends to facilitate open and intimate discussion, focusing on exploring on themes rather than on problem-solving, providing an appropriate environment that encourages everyone’s contribution and allows to connect diverse perspectives.

THE WORLD CAFE: Shaping Our Futures Through Conversations That Matter by Juanita Brown and David Isaacs

Then, we will taste and learn aboutHansanSogokju, the 1500 year old beverage with an unique scent and sweet flavor.

Finally we will be captured by Simcheongjeon (심청전), one the stories of Korean Pansori storytelling tradition, officially recognized by UNESCO as an important piece of world culture.Simcheong is a girl whose mother died in childbirth. She cares for her blind father, with the utmost care, the perfect model of Confucian devotion… [It will be interesting to discuss about this stereotypes in our round table discussions].

“Pansori”, often referred to as Korean Opera, is a type of traditional Korean music.

In “Pansori” two musicians are sharing the spotlight, a singer, named “sorikkun”, and a drummer called ”gosu”. Through his singing, words, and body language, the singer plays the central role while the drummer plays an accompanying role by providing the rhythm and shouting words of encouragement and passion to the performance, which totally reminds me to the Flamenco music in Spain.

In following video you can watch and listen to Jen Shyu, playing the “sorikkun in a representation sponsored by the National Gugak Center in Seoul, South Korea.

The scenes sung here are from “Drifting Along In the Sea” (범피중류) when Simcheong kills herself by jumping into the water in order to regain her father’s sight and “Simbongsa Opens His Eyes” (심봉사 눈 드는 대목) when her father regains his sight. It was recorded in 2013.

In our WE ARE KOREAN WOMEN we will read an excerpt from that final scene, when her father suddenly regains his sight and, like a wave across the earth, all people and even animals recover from blindness and see the bright world…

I want women to see! I want women to regain their self-esteem! There are lots of stereotypes and lots of glass ceilings to break, but the first ones are only in our minds!.

Prepare to be surprised!

If you wish to participate in “We are Korean Women” meeting on Thursday 7th May, please complete this succinct survey http://goo.gl/forms/E6qsPe6mP0 by Wednesday 6th May, to allow us to prepare this meeting with the greatest care.

There is not just one Spain but many. Spain is diverse and there are surprising attractions at every turn. Korea meets Spain wishes to show up different elements about the Spanish food and culture as well as to look beyond the Spanish clichés of siesta, sangría, paella or matadors.

Seoul Forest Sculpture by the Spanish artist Jaume Plensa.

Thursday, April 16th

A Spanish4Fun–Cooking Labevent. Cocido is a traditional chickpea based stew from Madrid that dates back to the middle Ages. Fragrant and substantial, Cocido is prepared with meat and vegetables and arrives at the table in three courses, known as tres vuelcos. The broth with noodles precedes the legumes and vegetables, which in turn set the stage for the meat.

The audience will enjoy a breathtaking view to Seoul’s skyline in a 250 m2 empty flat only furnished with the perfect table to enhance this Womenlabkorea Luncheon. We will cook the Cocido’s recipe and while our stew is over the flames we will make a virtual trip to The Madrid of the Spanish Habsburgs, known as “the Austrians” in Spanish and will admire the Plaza Mayor, silent witness of bullfights, executions, and coronations.

Thursday, April 23rd

Hallyu to Spain.

Description:

A #WMLABTALKS event. Inspirational thought provoking lectures. We will talk about the future of work and the key shifts that women can make to prepare themselves to a future-proof career. Example of both personal and professional reinvention, we will interview the Spanish blogger Mónica García Cabello.

Through her blog (withoutbabymonsters), Mónica García brings the South Korea popular culture to the Spanish audience. She lives in Seoul and loves it. Gifted with a voracious curiosity, every very week she goes in the search of the unexpected city, that she watches, explores and tells us about as soon as her “baby monsters” are Where the Wild Things Are…

Thursday, May 7th

WE ARE KOREAN WOMEN

Description:

A #WMLABTALKS event. Inspirational thought provoking lectures.

A Korean journalist, Hye-Rim Kwon and Ana Dols, the Spanish catalyst of WOMENLABKOREA, will talk tête à tête about how do Korean women look at their past and face modernity. WE ARE KOREAN WOMEN will be a female-focused collective dialogue to challenge stereotypes and clichés about being a woman in South Korea.

We will practise yogalates with Uliana Golovko and we will taste our Spanish “FIKA” -we like the idea of Swedish FIKA but we fuse it with the signature pan tumaca Catalonian breakfast or snack-. Finally we will discover Sogokju –and we’ll taste it!-, the 1500 year old beverage, and be captured by Simcheongjeon, a story of the Korean Pansori storytelling tradition. More than a workshop, WE ARE KOREAN WOMEN will be a celebration.

Monday, May 26

A Spanish4Fun-Cooking Labevent. Churros, the Spanish fried-dough pastry, are already part of the mainstream Seoulite culture, where there are currently 21 franchise churro brands, 17 of them registered last year. Churros are the quintessential Madrilenian breakfast. Either thin (or sometimes knotted) or long and thick, they are eaten dipped in hot chocolate or café con leche. The recipe in hand, we will be making our own churros and dunk them in a very thick chocolate -the authentic one- dip. And while we indulge ourselves with this popular snack, we will discover the controversial history of churros’ origin, the Latin American variations of the churros, or where to have the best chocolate con churros in Madrid, a city made for foodies.

Monday, June 9th

A Spanish4Fun-Cooking Labevent. The worldwide-known Paella is a blend of savors and colors from the Mediterranean Sea. The origins of this iconic dish are humble, Paella was originally farmers’ and farm laborers’ food, cooked over a wood fire for the lunchtime meal and traditionally eaten straight from the pan. It was made with rice, plus whatever ingredients were to hand around the rice fields and countryside (the so-called Huerta). We will try the original Paella Valenciana Recipe and travel to Valencia, whose sunlight was the painter Joaquín Sorolla’s inspiration.

Thursday, May 28th

Survival Spanish. Spanish smarts for smart tourists.

Description:

A Spanish4Fun event. Five sessions to help participants to navigate their way through some common scenarios (at the airport, traveling around the city, at the bank, in a restaurant, …), whether they are in Spain or Latin America. Survival Spanish will be useful either to brush up on the Spanish participants already know, or to learn all the useful words and expressions they will need for their trip. We will learn Spanish smarts about the Spanish language, social life and culture.

Last Thursday, March 11th we enjoyed FIKA at Hillside Residence, in Hannam-dong, Seoul. Petra Sjögren was our fabulous tour guide who shared with us many facts and stories of Sweden, a far away country – although after this Fika I have the feeling it is not so distant any more. (You can follow our board on Pinterest and discover all about Sweden: https://es.pinterest.com/womenlabkorea/wmlabtalks-fika/).

Now you might wonder what FIKA is. FIKA is a concept in Swedish culture with the basic meaning “to have coffee”, often accompanied with pastries or sandwiches. Nowadays coffee may be replaced by tea or juice. Sometimes, a sandwich or a small meal may be called FIKA, similar to the English concept of afternoon tea.

But FIKA is more than a Swedish Coffee Break. The definition given by FIKA KOREA, which promises no less than heaven to me: “a Scandinavian style coffee-house offering premium gourmet coffee and authentic Swedish food”.

FIKA is considered a social institution in Sweden, it means having a break with one’s colleagues, friends, date or family. This practice of taking a break is a common practice at workplaces and central to Swedish life.

Traditionally, FIKA requires sweet, baked goods, especially cinnamon rolls and according to Helene Henderson, author of The Swedish Table, one needs the following for Swedish guests: “to impress, serve a variety of seven freshly baked items and be ready to talk about the weather”. Funnily enough, in our FIKA we intended to talk about everything except the weather. In fact our purpose was to know more about Swedish women (to go beyond myths, stereotypes and preposterous clichés…) and discover if they are really winning the battle of the numbers.

Moreover this FIKA had a deeper meaning for me. FIKA was the first in our series of #WMLABTALKS this term. #WMLABTALKS are meant to be inspirational thought-provoking lectures about women and the future of world. In April we are hosting two more!

I conceived of these #WMLABTALKS as events where we can share and understand more about our lives; events to discover more about our wishes and hopes. I wanted to create a space where women can speak freely and be ready to challenge stereotypes. Furthermore, I wanted to dedicate a time to celebrate us, to celebrate women’s rhythms and women’s vision of the world´s cultures. To celebrate how far we have come and all that we have conquered. On this topic, Swedish women have something to say.

Sweden ranks as one of the world’s most gender-egalitarian countries, even in terms of language. We just learned that a gender-neutral pronoun, hen will join its binary counterparts han(he) andhon(she) in the new edition of Sweden’s official dictionary.

With an extensive welfare system, Sweden makes it easier for both women and men to balance work and family life. In the Global Gender Gap Report 2013, Sweden is named as a world leader in equality while Korea ranks 111th, out of 136 countries.

In Sweden, women are closer to sharing power and influence equally with men. The knowledge and experience of both sexes are used to foster progress in all fields of Swedish society. When talented women quit their jobs or abandon their chosen profession, not only does the country suffer a great loss of talent, but this lost potential is also painful for the women themselves.

Can we concur that Swedish women have it all? Of course not, there is still room for improvement in many areas, but after Petra’s speech we found Sweden an attractive place to live!

My reflection is that this progress on gender egalitarianism might set Swedish women a step ahead with regards to European or Asian women. They might be starting another kind of battle. As they are “allowed” to undertake traditionally male roles, they put themselves in a position where they can choose to “opt out”. They can decide to re-invent roles and workplace culture, not following the male lead. They can put value in their own goals rather than trying to fit in the ones recognized and rewarded in a male-dominated society. This shift in views can reconcile the strong disconnect between men and women’s preferred ways of doing things.

I am Spanish and consider that we Spanish women are not in that desirable position. But in a context where many of the ways of working that we have taken for granted for 20 years are disappearing (Lynda Gratton), in a transition to a knowledge-based economy, where rules and practices that determined success in the industrial economy need rewriting, we women and men have an extraordinary opportunity to switch the paradigm and reduce the gender’s gap. There is a correlation between a country’s gender gap and its national competitiveness. Women account for one-half of a country’s potential talent base and a nation’s competitiveness in the long-term depends significantly on whether and how it educates and uses its women’s talent (http://www.weforum.org/reports/global-gender-gap-report-2014) and in the “creative economy” (President Park) there is no talent to spare.